Gear is a necessary evil in our profession. I say “evil” because it can quickly become a monstrously expensive rabbit hole into which we dive all too willingly. But at some point in your photography career, you will need to purchase lights. Whether you decide to purchase strobes or speedlights is a topic I have covered more generally in a previous article. Here, I want to get more specific and talk about the difference between strobes and speedlights and which provides the best lighting for product photography. Can you use both? Should you use both? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
Strobes vs Speedlights for Product Photography: At a Glance
Before we dive into the details, here’s a quick overview of what we’ll cover in this comprehensive guide:
- The Obvious Differences – Price, size, and power output basics
- Power & Color Consistency – Why these factors are critical for product work
- Modelling Lights – The game-changing feature speedlights lack
- Hidden Benefits of Speedlights – When smaller lights actually win
- Final Recommendations – Specific gear picks for every budget
Let’s Get the Obvious Differences Out of the Way
Speedlights are generally cheaper than strobes. Only the very best speedlights come close to the cost of a strobe, and if you’re happy going for a budget option, they’re a fraction of the price. Another obvious point is that speedlights are much smaller and more portable. On the surface, this won’t mean too much to a product photographer working in a studio, but there are some who take their kit on location. Their compact size can also have other benefits which I’ll cover later.
The final relatively obvious difference when determining the best lighting for product photography is power output. While the measurements use different metrics, speedlights are roughly equivalent to 50 watt-seconds (Ws), whereas strobes usually start at 500 Ws, although you can find some with as little as 250 Ws. As most product photographers know, power output is a very important factor. However, there are ways to work around power limitations, and there are other considerations you may not have thought of. I’ll delve into those shortly.
The Product Photography Essentials: Power & Color Consistency
With the more obvious differences aside, let’s talk about two of the most important features any product photographer needs from their lights: consistent power output and consistent color temperature. Sometimes it’s possible to get away with having a light that doesn’t excel in both categories, but most of the time you can’t afford that compromise.
Why Power Consistency Matters for Focus Stacking
Roughly 90% of my product images are focus-stacked using Helicon Focus (find my review here). If my lights are not outputting consistent power from shot to shot, the stack either doesn’t work properly or comes out with odd blotches and exposure variations. When you’re combining anywhere from 10 to 50 images into a single composite, even small fluctuations in flash output become glaringly obvious.
Color consistency is another matter entirely, and can present an even worse problem. When shooting products, representing them accurately is essential—the color must be spot-on. So what do you do if one light is putting out plus or minus 500 Kelvin from shot to shot? I’ve actually seen worse variation than this from cheap units. Mix three inconsistent lights together and you’ll quickly find yourself facing a total nightmare in post-production, with varying color casts across your image. There is no easy fix for that. Often there is no fix whatsoever.
Which Brands Offer the Best Consistency?
Sadly, the level of consistency varies wildly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Strobe manufacturers known to be the best are Broncolor and Profoto, but they have price tags to match their reputations. In general, I would say that strobes win this category, but quality speedlights (whether cheap or expensive) are far better than cheap strobes. It’s hard to declare a clear winner for best lighting for product photography here because the results vary so much by specific model and brand.
My advice when you’re looking to purchase would be to give proper weight to consistency and do your research on what you’ll actually be shooting. If you’re doing high-volume e-commerce work where color accuracy is paramount, invest in lights with proven consistency. If you’re doing more artistic product work where you have time to adjust in post, you might have more flexibility.
Let There Be Light… Or Not: The Modelling Light Advantage
One of the biggest differences between speedlights and strobes is the presence (or absence) of a modelling light. The image above illustrates this perfectly. My three main lights (two above and one behind the background) all have modelling lights, and you can see their effect clearly illuminating the scene. The speedlights on either side of the lens have no modelling light, and the only way to see their effect is by actually firing off a test shot.
The resulting scenario plays out like this: “Oh no, I don’t like that.” Move light. “Nope, don’t like that either.” Move light. “Almost, but not quite.” Move light. And on, and on, and on.
If you use a light without a modelling light, that tedious process is unavoidable and extremely frustrating—especially when you accidentally nudge a stand and lose your position entirely.
Why Product Photography Is Different from Portraits
“What’s the big deal?” I hear you ask. “I use speedlights all the time for portraits and not having a modelling light is never an issue!” Yeah, me too. I use speedlights constantly for portraits and it doesn’t matter nearly as much. Sure, it’s nice to see the light before you shoot, but after a while you develop an intuition for what effect a particular placement will have on a face.
Product photography is completely different. Trust me on this.
Take the photo above, in which I am photographing a watch. Compared to a person, my subject is minuscule. Due to the small size, if you move your light just one centimeter, you might completely change your photo. Think I’m being dramatic? Try it yourself. Photographing jewelry or watches is one of the hardest things you will ever do as a photographer because the light placement has to be incredibly precise. A highlight that’s supposed to catch the edge of a watch bezel might completely disappear with a tiny adjustment. Modelling lights are an absolute lifesaver in these situations.
The Hidden Benefits of Speedlights for Product Photography
You might now be thinking that speedlights are completely out of the running for best lighting for product photography. They don’t have modelling lights, so they must be useless, right? Not at all. In fact, they’re astoundingly useful in certain situations.
No, I don’t use them as my main light because they lack the power output I need. But speedlights are very small, and that compact size can be extremely handy for product work.
Getting Light into Tight Spaces
In the image below, I’m using two speedlights. The one on the left could easily be replaced with a strobe, so ignore that one for now. The one on the right, however, is packed very tightly into a small space—a space where no strobe could possibly fit. I very often find use for a miniature box of light that can squeeze into places a regular strobe cannot reach.
Granted, if you had some stupidly expensive spotlight modifier, you could achieve similar results on many occasions. But I’m not made of money, and I’m pretty sure you aren’t either. A $50 speedlight can solve problems that would otherwise require a $500 modifier.
The Flash Duration Advantage
Another hidden benefit of speedlights is their ridiculously short flash durations. You may be thinking that Profoto with the D2 or Pro-10 can’t be beaten when it comes to flash duration—except maybe by Hensel, who announced a strobe with a faster flash duration but still hadn’t released it four months later when I originally wrote this. But you’d be wrong about speedlights being slower.
While the Profoto D2s are amazing, they cannot match the minimum flash duration of a Yongnuo 560 IV at its lowest power settings. How do I know this? Well, I’m the kind of person who actually tests these things, especially when considering which options make for the best lighting for product photography.
Does that mean speedlights are better for freezing action because they have faster flash durations? Oddly enough, no. While speedlights do achieve very fast flash durations, the power output has to be lowered significantly to reach those speeds. That’s right—lowered further from the already modest 50 Ws. That doesn’t mean you can’t use speedlights for action freezing, but you will have to raise your ISO and make absolutely certain that all ambient light is blocked out of your exposure.
Given All of This Information, What Are My Recommendations?
If you’re serious about product photography, you need to invest in strobes. The presence of a modelling light alone blows speedlights out of the water for this type of work. Add in the generally superior power and color consistency, and there is a clear winner for best lighting for product photography.
That does not, however, mean that you cannot or should not use speedlights. As I’ve already explained, they make an excellent companion to strobes, and I use them all the time. Several of the behind-the-scenes shots you’ve seen throughout this article show setups where I’ve combined both speedlights and strobes to achieve the final result.
Starting Out on a Budget
If this conclusion is causing you to hang your head and think, “Well, I can’t afford strobes,” don’t fret. There was a time when all I used was speedlights. Without question, it’s more difficult and annoying. It takes much more time when you don’t have a modelling light, and you’ll often find yourself accepting results that aren’t quite perfect. But it can absolutely be done.
After all, as Pye has said—and something I wholeheartedly agree with—”Light is light.” The physics don’t change based on how much you paid for your equipment. If you’re doing product photography professionally, you would ideally have both strobes and speedlights in your kit. If you’re starting out, by all means use speedlights exclusively. Just trust me: you will be longing for a modelling light in no time.
Side note: An extremely useful tool for any product photographer is a good flashlight or torch. Why? It’s essentially a handheld modelling light that lets you preview where highlights and shadows will fall before you commit to a speedlight position.
Specific Gear Recommendations for Product Photography Lighting
Without covering every light available in our search for the best lighting for product photography, here are some specific recommendations and the reasons behind each choice.
Strobes:
Profoto D2 – Find them here
Excellent for flash duration, color consistency, power consistency, and build quality. These lights are fantastic, and I love using them. But be prepared to sell a kidney to afford them. That said, they’re substantially cheaper than any power pack system that achieves similar performance.
Paul C Buff Einstein – Find them here
These lights are just as good as the Profotos when it comes to power and color consistency. Their flash durations are more than adequate for most product work, and they cost a fraction of the Profoto price. On the flip side, the build quality and long-term reliability aren’t as good. They’re workhorses, but expect to replace them eventually.
Speedlights:
Phottix Mitros+ – Find them here
As speedlights go, these are on the expensive side. Are they worth the premium? Only you can decide that based on your budget and needs. But if money weren’t an issue, these would be my speedlights of choice for their reliability and consistency.
Godox TT600 / Yongnuo 560 IV – Find the Godox here and Yongnuo here
Sadly, money is always an issue. As such, I own seven speedlights: four Yongnuo and three Godox. The amazing thing is that I still paid less than the cost of one Phottix Mitros+. The downside is that they’re not as reliable and they’re not built as well. Expect the occasional unit to fail, and consider them somewhat disposable. But for the price, they’re hard to beat as secondary or fill lights.
Frequently Asked Questions About Product Photography Lighting
Can I start product photography with just speedlights?
Absolutely. Many successful product photographers started with nothing but speedlights. The learning curve is steeper without modelling lights, and you’ll spend more time on trial and error. But the fundamentals of lighting don’t change based on your equipment. Master light placement and modification with speedlights, and you’ll be even better prepared when you eventually upgrade to strobes.
How many lights do I need for product photography?
You can create professional product images with a single light and reflectors. However, most product photographers find that two to three lights give them the flexibility they need for consistent results. As your skills develop, you might add specialized accent lights or background lights. I regularly use five or more lights for complex setups, but I also regularly create images with just one or two.
What modifiers work best for product photography?
Softboxes are the workhorse modifier for product photography, providing soft, even light that wraps around products beautifully. Strip boxes are excellent for creating defined edge highlights on reflective products. For small items like jewelry, small softboxes or even bare bulbs with diffusion can work well. The key is matching your modifier size to your subject size—generally, larger modifiers relative to the subject create softer light.
Do I need TTL (automatic exposure) for product photography?
No. In fact, manual flash is strongly preferred for product photography. You want complete consistency from shot to shot, especially when focus stacking. TTL can vary its output based on what the camera sees, which is the opposite of what you want. Save your money and buy manual-only flashes for product work.
Conclusion
I hope you found this comprehensive guide on the best lighting for product photography useful. The bottom line is simple: strobes win for serious product work thanks to modelling lights and superior consistency, but speedlights remain valuable tools that complement strobes perfectly. Start with what you can afford, learn the fundamentals, and upgrade as your business grows.
Please feel free to ask any questions in the comments below, or let me know if I’ve missed any details you’d like me to address.
